"It makes me not feel anything," he replied honestly after several moments of tense silence. He took another, much longer swig before sitting down and saying, "There must be some reason you're here, kid..."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Annie nodded against Finnick's shoulder as he carried her inside. He was strong and she was frail, and they both sort of liked it whenever he carried her. "Finnick...?" She asked softly. Her dark hair was quite moused. "H-How... how do you keep them at bay...?" His own nightmares, of course.

She shrugged and put the bottle down. "I want to know how you..." She struggled for words, looking away for a minute. "How you... Live. After all of this... How are you still so strong..."

-

Finnick thought about her question. "I just... Push them away," he said. "I have to be strong now.. For you."

Haymitch roared with more laughter. It sounded almost mocking, but there was a great tone of melancholy to it. Most people probably wouldn't have heard it, but Katniss knew Haymitch better than most people did.

"You think this is living?!" he said. If he wasn't sitting, he probably would've fallen to the floor with laughter. "I'm not living, sweetheart... I'm not strong..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Annie sniffled a little, but she understood. Still, she didn't like the idea of Finnick - her strong, happy-go-lucky Finnick - having nightmares about his own games (even though it made perfect sense), and it wasn't long before she started shaking in his arms, clutching onto him for all that she could... which, unfortunately, wasn't much.

"You're still breathing, Haymitch," she said, her voice low and filled with sorrow, a hint of rage showing through. "How? Because I'm finding it really hard to find a reason." Her voice cracked a bit, angry tears stinging in her brown eyes.
-

Finnick held her tight, rubbing his large, strong hands up and down her arms, trying to soothe her. "Shh, Annie... It's okay... I promise Annie, no one will ever hurt you again." He sounded determined.

Haymitch watched her quietly for a moment, before he muttered, "Well, they haven't killed your sister yet..." Haymitch actually warned Katniss, during her first year as a mentor, that he wouldn't be surprised if Prim's name was called again before she turned 19, just as a punishment for the brunette's crimes in the arena.

"And Peeta's still here for you. So's that cousin of yours, and your mother..." She had a hell of a lot more people then he did.

~~~~

Annie's shaking slowly began to calm as Finnick soothed her, his soft, determined voice helping keep the monsters in her head at bay. But everything was still so cold, she thought, snuggling close to him. Her whole body felt cold...

Katniss have a very shaky sigh, swallowing back her emotions. She brushed her hair back with her fingers and then looking at him with a steady gaze. "And you..."

--

Finnick picked up the blanket beside them and wrapped it around her, continuing to hold her, rocking her softly and placing his cheek on the top of her head. "I love you, Annie."

Haymitch shrugged. "I suppose..."

To be honest, he didn't mind hers and Peeta's company at all. They were almost like a family of misfits. Actually, that's exactly what they were: a family of misfits; a drunken, old man, a hunter girl, and a baker's son.

~~

Annie snuggled up in her blanket and rested her head against Finnick's shoulder, and she pecked the side of his cheek. "I love you too..."

Katniss sighed again and sat down as well, looking around. "You need to clean up," she said brashly.

--

Finnick gave a big smile, "Good because you're stuck with me forever!"

Haymitch didn't reply to that, because he knew it was true. There were empty bottles of alcohol everywhere, dirt inches thick, and there was a stench of booze and vomit in several of the rooms.

~~

Annie grinned a little. Finnick and Mag were a few of the only people who could make her grin. "I like that," she murmured.

Katniss looked around a few more times before turning back to him. "Maybe you could clean more than drink," she offered.

--

"Really now?" He chuckled, moving his hand down to her side and tickling her slightly."